Mario Kart: Sugar Rush
by 1upDawg
Summary: Mario and Vanellope hit the road to prove once and for all who the arcade's greatest racer really is, and everyone's invited! It's the craziest kart racing crossover extravaganza ever… It's Mario Kart: Sugar Rush! Who will win? (Takes place after the events of Press Start to Play. OCs are welcome!)
1. Chapter 1: Wanna Race?

** ((Author's Note: Yo everybody, 1upDawg here, and… can it be? Another crossover fic? That's right folks, the Mario Bros. and the WiR gang are back in action, and this time, they'll be tearing up the track together in the latest hit crossover kart racer: **_**Mario Kart: Sugar Rush!**_

__**But before we jump into the story, let me bend your ear for a sec. This story's going to be a 32-track long, fully detailed playthrough of **_**MKSR**_**, split into 8 cups. Four of those cups feature brand-new tracks, and the other four reuse tracks from earlier games in both series. If you've ever played a **_**Mario Kart **_**game before, you know how this works.**

** That said, if anybody's got any track requests for **_**MKSR**_**, send them to me through a PM, or leave a track request in a review. I'll also be updating my profile with more details on requests, so don't miss out.**

** Also, all racers are welcome in **_**MKSR**_**- including OCs. If you've got an OC that you want to see appear in the story, send me requests through PM. Be sure to give me your character/kart's name and some basic stats. I'll do my best to include as many OCs as I can; you will get credit if I use them. **

** Right then… now, without further adieu I present to you… **_**Mario Kart: Sugar Rush!**_**))**

Chapter 1: Wanna Race?

"Okay everybody, the arcade's closed! Let's pack it up!"

All the other racers, eagerly anticipating this usual announcement from Vanellope that signified the end of yet another busy day in _Sugar Rush_, obeyed without a second thought. Boisterously mulling over the highlights of today's races to one another, the candy-coated gang of _Sugar Rush_ hopped into their sweet-styled go-karts and sped out of the grandstands, awaiting the Random Roster Race that was yet to come.

Vanellope slumped atop her throne in the grandstands and sighed deeply. As much as she loved the daily fare of races, she couldn't help but admit it hadn't been a particularly eventful day. For that matter, the entire week hadn't been very memorable. It had been little more than a month since her kingdom had been saved from the likes of that spiky-headed buttface (what _was _his name, anyway?), and since then… well, racing just hadn't been the same.

It could be the lack of players recently… no, _Sugar Rush _was still pretty darn popular. It may not have had the graphical snazz of _Hero's Duty_, but the game still managed to hold its own as a staple in Litwak's Arcade. Maybe there simply weren't as many power-up boxes as usual… No, she thought to herself, Sour Bill had just left a fresh batch on the track last Thursday. That couldn't be it.

Then there was Mario… She let out another sigh at the thought. All the other racers were good, sure, but… in her time on the track, Mario was the most worthy rival she'd ever raced in her life. Could it be that because of Mario, Vanellope was starting to lose interest in _Sugar Rush_? She dismissed the thought right as it formed in her mind- after all, she knew better than to go game-jumping like her old arch-enemy, Turbo.

Oh well… as hectic as her last encounter with him had been, Vanellope decided that she'd enjoyed her big adventure with Mario. Secretly she couldn't wait to race him again- even though she'd never let anyone know it. Especially not…

"You look kinda out of it, kid. Would it cheer you up if I washed that molasses-coated mess of a kart for you?"

_…Ralph. _Vanellope turned and saw the face of her best friend looking down at her.

"Aw, why don't you go wash _yourself _for a change, Twinkle Toes?" Vanellope scowled, sinking back into her chair. "I'm not out of it, anyway. I'm just… _bored_."

"Well, excuuuuuse me, Princess," retorted Ralph. "Just trying to help is all."

Vanellope watched as Ralph sadly turned his back to her.

"I don't need help," Vanellope sighed. "That's the problem."

"Problem? What problem?" Ralph asked over his shoulder.

"Ralph, would ya just look at all this?" Vanellope spread her arms in front of her, as if embracing the skyline of her entire kingdom. "I've got my own game, my own castle, tons of friends and… well, everything I ever wanted! Of course, it's all thanks to you…"

Ralph innocently shrugged at her compliment.

"But… I dunno, it's just getting kinda old doing the same thing day after day. Look, I know not to go running around messing up people's games, don't get me wrong. But being the ruler of _Sugar Rush _all the time is… well… it's _boring_. I got no idea why, but I've been feeling this way for a while now…"

"Ever since this place nearly got taken over, huh?" asked Ralph, thinking exactly the same thing she was feeling.

"Yeah," said Vanellope. "Ever since Mario came along…"

Just then, there was the sound of a kart pulling up, and a quite unexpected, yet startlingly familiar voice sounded out from within the grandstands.

"Did somebody page-a me?"

Vanellope leapt out of her seat in shock, and before Ralph could catch her, she lost her balance and stumbled over the edge of her stand.

"Vanellope!" called Ralph as the little racer rolled down the large ribbon that normally led to her kart. Instead, she shot into the air and fell to the ground… only to be caught by a pair of gloved hands. Vanellope opened her eyes in disbelief and gasped at the sight of Mario's mustachioed face.

"HE'S HERE! HE'S HERE! RALPH, HE'S HERE!" she squealed with excitement.

"What?!" yelled Ralph, equally overjoyed. Ralph grabbed the edge of Vanellope's stand and started climbing down the building, only for the structure to give way under his weight and fall over, crushing him.

Vanellope and Mario hurried over to the toppled stand in hopes of prying it off of Ralph, but before they got there Ralph hoisted it over his head and chucked it all the way across the racetrack, crushing Taffyta Muttonfudge's stand in the process.

"Way to aim for Taffyta's, chucklehead," giggled Vanellope.

"Eh… don't worry, Felix'll fix it," Ralph said, shrugging as if nothing happened. "So how've you been, Mario? 'S been a while since our last adventure."

"Yep," said Mario. "And that's-a why I thought I'd stop by-a… to see how you guys here in _Sugar Rush _were doing! Figured you might-a be here too, Ralph. You and Vanellope go together like-a spaghetti and meatballs!"

"We sure do, don't we, kid?" the wrecker asked his friend.

"Gah-doi!" Vanellope smirked. "But I think I know why you're really here, Mario… couldn't stop by without having a rematch, could ya?"

"That's-a right!" Mario smiled. "Check out the Red Velvet Fire- my new-a kart!"

Vanellope gasped as she took in the coolest, fastest-looking _Sugar Rush _racing car she'd ever seen. It had the body of a Formula-1 racer and sleek peppermint wheels- wheels that weren't touching the ground. The kart was _floating!_

"I got-a that idea from Rosalina," Mario explained. "No more racing on the _ground_ for Mario… not-a when he can race up-a the walls!"

"Whoa…" Vanellope's eyes widened. "I WANNA TRY! I WANNA TRY!" she yelped, hopping in the Red Velvet Fire before Mario yanked her out.

"Aw, come on kid, wait for just a sec," he told her. "Don't-a worry, we'll be racing soon enough. Besides-a, the rest of the gang wants-a to meet you."

"The rest of the gang...?" asked Vanellope, before she spotted several other figures in karts approaching the finish line. One by one, the newcomers dismounted their karts and hurried up to Mario. Vanellope didn't recognize some of them- one had the appearance of a mountain gorilla, one was rotund and clad in yellow, and still another green and scaly from head to toe. But she immediately recognized the other green-clad figure as he made his way to his brother.

"Luigi!" she cried out, tackling the hapless plumber to the ground in a hug. "Good-a to see you too, kid," he mumbled, struggling back to his feet.

"Hello, Vanellope," Peach greeted the fellow princess. "I hope all's been well?"

"You bet!" Vanellope smiled. "It's great to see you all… well, you I've never seen before," she told the green, dinosaur-like figure.

"That's-a Yoshi," Mario explained. "He's really friendly!" As if to prove it, Yoshi extended his long tongue and tickled Vanellope with it, letting out a squeal of delight.

Ralph had merely been watching the scene unfold, but as the two other racers finally caught up with the group, he instantly recognized two fellow Bad-Anon members.

"Wario! Donkey Kong! You guys came too!" he shouted.

DK let out several joyful monkey ooks at the sight of Ralph.

"'Ey, Ralphie!" Wario called out in his gravelly voice. "Well, whaddya expect? Mario drags everybody in the Mushroom Kingdom off to a race and ya don't think I'd get invited?"

"Everybody?" asked Vanellope. "We're all racing?"

"Right again!" Mario exclaimed. "Once again, we're going head-to-head for more racing action in my latest game, to prove-a who's the best racer in the arcade! I call it… _Mario Kart: Sugar Rush!_"

Ralph and Vanellope gasped. After all this time… Mario and Vanellope were about to hit the track once again.

"Well, how about it?" asked Mario, extending his hand. "Up for another race, kid?"

Vanellope seized Mario's hand and gave it a firm shake. "Only if you chumps are ready to eat my sugary dust!"

"We'll see about that-a!" Mario chuckled. "Alright kid, go get-a your friends ready, cause tomorrow, it's-a gonna be game on! Here's-a what we're gonna do…"

…

**((Well, it looks like Mario's got big plans in store for **_**Sugar Rush! **_**Who will win this epic kart battle of the ages… the **_**Mario Kart **_**gang, or the **_**Sugar Rush **_**racers? Tune in next time to **_**MKSR **_**as the game kicks off with its first taste of delicious racing action: the Mushroom Cup!**

** In the meantime, be sure to send me any tracks or OCs that you want to see in the game! Leave a review or send me a PM, and I'll be sure to get back to you.**

** See you at the starting line next time on **_**Mario Kart: Sugar Rush!**_

** -1upDawg))**


	2. Chapter 2: Game On!

** ((Author's Note: Hey guys, I'm back. I don't quite have the tracks ready for this chapter like I planned- I got so many requests I'm still trying to fit everything in! I haven't yet received any OC's, though, so if you want your OC in the race, there's still time, so just let me know! At any rate, now that Mario and his friends have arrived, what has become of **_**Sugar Rush**_**? Let's find out…))**

Chapter 2: Game On!

**The next day…**

It was a bright and sunny morning, and amid the bright lights and whirring noises that resonated within, the arcade retained its usual air of cheeriness as its latest customer, a young girl wearing glasses, stepped through its doors. This girl was no stranger to Litwak's: she frequented the arcade quite often, whenever school was over or on weekends, and was always there when a new game was added to its already extensive lineup. Still, she always enjoyed the classic, older games that had been part of the arcade for decades. Even though _Hero's Duty _was all the rage among gamers these days, there was still nothing quite like a few fast, frenzied laps around the track in _Sugar Rush _from time to time, and at times the girl felt compelled to conclude her sessions at Litwak's with a race.

This was one of those times. Having exhausted the vast majority of her quarters on the new _Hydro Race _and _Time Crisis _machines, she casually pulled up a seat in front of the _Sugar Rush _game console. She reached out to insert a quarter, but found the game had already been started. _Must've been left on overnight, _she thought.

That's when she noticed something… _odd _about the game. The cabinet looked just the same as ever, but the game itself was off. Whoever had last started the game had left it idle on the character select screen. But of all the on-screen choices, there was a face completely foreign to the game… and yet strikingly familiar.

"Hey, Mr. Litwak! Come check this out!" she called out to the arcade's owner.

Tall, balding, and jovial as ever, Litwak strode over to join the girl at the _Sugar Rush _cabinet. "What is it, sweetie?"

"Since when can you play as _Luigi _in _Sugar Rush_?" the girl asked, bewildered.

Among the game's usual racers was an icon that displayed the plumber's unmistakable, mustachioed mug.

"Luigi?" asked Litwak, equally nonplussed. "You mean the Nintendo character?" That couldn't have been right. This had to be some mistake, some kind of a belated April Fool's joke…

And yet, when the arcade owner directed the cursor over his face, there he was, in all his mustachioed, green-clad glory.

**LUIGI**

**Weight: **Medium

**Speed: **2/5

**Handling: **4/5

**Sweetness: **3/5

**Kart: **The Bite Buggy

**Special Item: **Fireballs

Now _this _was odd. He definitely didn't recall _Sugar Rush _having Nintendo characters in it- for that matter, he didn't even recall the game being a Nintendo property! The game, much like other arcade classics such as _Fix-It Felix, Jr._, was developed by the once game giant Tobikomi, which was swallowed up by Activision back in 2002. But _Sugar Rush _was developed in 1997, five years before that had happened…

He had no idea what was going on with the game. Perhaps there had been an update to the game via the Internet, as part of that big Year of Luigi thing that had been going on last year. Yet one could only imagine his surprise as he continued scrolling through the game's roster and found another _Mario Kart _character…

**PEACH**

**Weight: **Medium

**Speed: **3/5

**Handling: **2/5

**Sweetness: **4/5

**Kart: **The Sweet Streaker

**Special Item: **Hearts

And another…

**TOAD**

**Weight: **Super Light

**Speed: **2/5

**Handling: **5/5

**Sweetness: **5/5

**Kart: **The Mushmellow

**Special Item: **Golden Mushrooms

And another still!

**BOWSER**

**Weight: **Super Heavy

**Speed: **5/5

**Handling: **2/5

**Sweetness: **2/5

**Kart: **The Red-Hot Rod

**Special Item: **Bowser Shells

No, he had no explanation at all for what was going on with the _Sugar Rush _game today- he'd seen strange things indeed occur within his games for years, but this was beyond abnormal. He continued to scroll through the newly-discovered roster of _Mario _regulars until he came across Mario himself. Then, as if he'd seen all he needed to see, Litwak restarted the game.

Then the strangest thing happened. The words "Tobikomi presents" flashed across the screen, but surprisingly, so did the Nintendo logo. Then the words faded away as the game presented its new and improved title: _Mario Kart: Sugar Rush._

Litwak was stunned. He had never seen anything like this. It was as if someone had ripped out _Sugar Rush_'s entire motherboard, completely overhauled it, and replaced it with an entirely new game.

For a while he took in the sight in disbelief. The girl at his side appeared equally puzzled. Then at last, she asked, "Well, what's going on with the game?"

"I wish I knew, sweetheart," he replied. "I've never seen it behave this way. But it sure looks interesting… I'd better do a quick playthrough first, to make sure it still plays the same. Alright?"

The girl gave a nod, and stepped back to observe Litwak as he began to take on the new game. Even the modes looked different. Litwak chose Grand Prix, which he believed to be equivalent to the usual racing found on the _Sugar Rush _console. Next he was asked to pick an engine class. Always up for a challenge, he selected the highest level, 150cc.

But the real conundrum came when he again reached the character select screen: were these new _Mario Kart _characters really playable? He observed each of their stats, looking for a good fit. Eventually, however, he decided against them in favor of his old favorite he'd used in countless _Sugar Rush _races from years gone by.

**VANELLOPE**

**Weight: **Light

**Speed: **3/5

**Handling: **3/5

**Sweetness: **3/5

**Kart: **The Candy Kart

**Special Item: **Glitch

After selecting Vanellope and her kart and opting for manual drift (rather than automatic), Litwak was asked to choose his cup. There were two to choose from: the Mushroom Cup in the Nitro Grand Prix, or the Shell Cup in the Retro Grand Prix. _Heh, _thought Litwak. _Now _this _looks an awful lot more like those _Mario Kart _games my nephews used to play all the time._

He wanted to see what the new tracks were like, so he chose the Mushroom Cup and hovered his foot over the game console's accelerator in anticipation.

The race of a lifetime was just about to start.

…

**((Well well well… Things just got interesting! But what will Litwak encounter when he gets the game going? Tune in next time to **_**Mario Kart: Sugar Rush **_**to find out!**

** Peace out,**

** 1upDawg))**


	3. Chapter 3: Mushroom Mayhem

**((Hey everybody, 1upDawg here. I know it's been a while since I updated MKSR, but the good news is that the list of tracks- new and retro- is finally put together! Expect many more updates to the story in the near future. For now, though, let's get rolling with the Mushroom Cup!))**

Chapter 3: Mushroom Mayhem

"Alright, places, everybody! The game's about to start-a!" Mario was shouting.

Bustling about eagerly, the lineup for the first ever _Mario Kart: Sugar Rush _race hopped in their karts. Five _Mario Kart _drivers (Luigi, Peach, Wario, Donkey Kong and Toad), as well as two _Sugar Rush _racers (Rancis and Crumbelina) revved their engines, waiting for the race to begin. All they needed was for Litwak to choose his driver.

Mario glanced at Vanellope. "You ready for this-a, kid?"

Vanellope snickered. "Ready to knock ya into next week, that's for sure!"

"Wanna bet?" asked Mario, grinning.

"You're on!" Vanellope retorted. "Let's see which team can win the most cups!"

"Deal!" said Mario, shaking her hand. "Not that we _need _to bet-a… we both-a know Mario's number one!"

"Oh yeah? Tough guy?" Vanellope's hands were on her hips. "Well, we'll soon see about that, chump!"

At that moment, a blue glow enveloped Vanellope and she began to rise into the air, signifying one thing: _she had been chosen._

"Looks like you're up-a first, kid!" Mario chuckled. "Don't embarrass yourself-a too much out there, then!"

"Roger!" Vanellope saluted as she hopped into her kart. Instantly, she felt control over her being slip away: Litwak was in control now. Candy fans, Toads, and other Sugar Rush racers cheered the tiny president on from the sidelines as she pulled up to the 8th place marker on the finish line, waiting with the others for the first round of the Mushroom Cup to begin.

**150cc Mushroom Cup- Round 1**

**Vanellope Circuit**

**Difficulty: 1/5**

On the other side of the monitor, Litwak gasped as he took in the sight. The design of the tracks had changed entirely- rather than kick things off with Sweet Ride 1, the track that met his eyes instead was a majestic, convoluted figure-8, which looped around the game's Candy Castle and twisted in all directions. Now _this _was wild!

Meanwhile, Vanellope took a brief glanced at the circuit modeled in her likeness. _About time I got my own track, _she thought. But as Lakitu swooped in to begin the countdown, Vanellope remembered a trick Mario had taught her, and she slammed her feet on the gas with what she remembered was the right time.

**3… 2… 1… GO!**

Vanellope shot forward, instantly passing Rancis and Wario, whose karts had immediately stalled out. The course immediately began with a banked curve to the left.

After that came a right turn, during which she passed Toad, before she came to the first wave of item boxes. The roulette came to a stop just after a 90-degree turn to the right, and Vanellope picked up… three Red Shells! Remembering how these worked very similarly to Sweet Seekers, she fired them all at once, hitting Donkey Kong twice and Peach once as she swept past them. She was now in the top three!

Just as she passed Peach, Vanellope drove over a strange-looking blue panel, and the cookie wheels of her Candy Kart became inverted. Vanellope knew at once this must be an anti-gravity section, and was too mesmerized by the sudden loop in the air around her castle to notice Peach drafting behind her, passing her. Concentrating, Vanellope picked up speed and rammed right into the Sweet Streaker, gaining a speed boost and regaining 3rd.

At the end of the anti-gravity section was a glide over a pond of chocolate. "Woohoo!" screamed Vanellope giddily as she rocketed over the pond. But Wario had saved a nasty surprise for her: moments before she could land, a sudden bolt of lightning struck her, making her plummet right into the pond.

A moment later, she found herself being fished out by Lakitu. She wasn't hurt, but she'd lost some valuable time, allowing Peach and Donkey Kong to regain their positions. To top it off, the second Lakitu set her back on the track, Rancis struck her with a Star, sending her all the way back to 6th.

Another right turn followed, then two sharp, banked curves to the left, but as she rounded the straight that led back to the finish line, she wasn't gaining any ground. She knew an item would be her best chance to put her back in the front as she swept over the finish line a second time.

**LAP 2!**

Clearly this just hadn't been her race- Toad drafted from behind her, dropping her to 7th. But when she returned to the item boxes, her predictions of landing on a good item came true as the roulette came to a stop on a Bullet Bill.

It was the oddest sensation. Vanellope lost perception of herself and her surroundings. All she knew was she was rocketing, hurtling across the track at breakneck speed. The Bullet Bill took her all the way up to 2nd, knocking over Donkey Kong's and Crumbelina's karts in the process.

From behind the wheel of the Tira-Missile, Crumbelina was stunned beyond belief. "What was that?!"

Vanellope blew her a wet raspberry in return, before shifting her focus back to the road and the racer directly in front of her. But Luigi, who had thus far maintained a first-place lead for the entire race, was not about to relinquish his position without a fight. Right before driving off the glide panel, the plumber dropped a Banana on the edge of the ramp- right in Vanellope's path.

Vanellope gasped, remembering how those items worked, and swerved to avoid it, but- too late. For the second time, Vanellope plunged downward into the chocolate mud-puddle, only to be rescued once again by Lakitu. The attack wasn't as devastating as the last, but it did set her back to 4th. Despite her best driving, Donkey Kong was unwilling to give up the 3rd position, and Vanellope had to use three Green Shells to persuade him. The ape let out agonized shrieks of shock as Vanellope edged by him to take back her spot in the top three- right as she crossed the finish line for lap number three.

**FINAL LAP!**

Vanellope veered left and right again, pulling out all the mini-turbos her Candy Kart could muster. But it wasn't working, and Luigi and Crumbelina were solidly holding on to their spots. She knew an item would be the best shot at taking the lead.

But as she bounded through another item box, all she received was a single Red Shell. _It'll do_, she thought before firing- right as Crumbelina zoomed ahead of Luigi.

The shell struck the hapless plumber's kart, flipping him upside-down.

"Yeah!" yelped Vanellope as she drifted on past him, right into the antigravity section. This time, the item box rewarded her with three Bananas. _They've got three of everything, don't they? _She thought to herself.

A trail of Bananas erupted from the back end of her kart- right as Luigi, attempting to draft behind her, struck two of them. Luigi spun out right over the glide panel, and as Vanellope glided onward, basking in the karma she had just unloaded on him, she could see Lakitu fishing him out of the pond of chocolate fondue.

Yet Crumbelina was too fast for her. Vanellope had only one Banana left. She knew she had to make it count…

As the two racers approached the final straightaway, Vanellope fired her Banana forward. Crumbelina swerved right into it and spun out, inches from the finish line. Vanellope took advantage of the extra time and rocketed forward. The delay from the Banana had helped her out immensely- but would it give her enough time?

**FINISH!**

It was enough. Vanellope had finished first!

"I won! I won! I won!" she shrieked giddily. The game's first race was hers!

**1****st** Vanellope +9 pts

**2****nd** Crumbelina +6 pts

**3****rd** Peach +3 pts

**4****th** Luigi +1 pt

Meanwhile, on the other side of the game's screen, Litwak was having the time of his life. "Oh my goodness me! Did you see that save with the Banana? Talk about a close shave! Goodness…"

His companion, however, just shrugged, and Litwak could tell that she wanted to play the game herself. He didn't want to hold her up- he knew it was bad business to keep the customers waiting. But he wanted to see more. He was now more curious than ever about this strange new game that had landed in his lap out of the blue- especially now that the second track of the Mushroom Cup had begun to manifest itself on-screen.

**150cc Mushroom Cup- Round 2**

**Gelato Isles**

**Difficulty: 1/5**

The world of Vanellope Circuit had vanished, only to replace itself with a more tropical-looking world, with brown sugar beaches, rock formations made of ice cream, and an island with a lighthouse that towered off in the distance.

"Ah, a water course, eh?" Litwak had seen plenty of those watching his nephews play _Mario Kart_. They were never terribly difficult, but he was never any good at the games, and seeing how badly he had almost fared on Vanellope Circuit…

_Too late to turn back now_, he thought as he gripped the steering wheel, bracing himself for the next wild ride.

Vanellope, however, was not sharing the same insecurities as Litwak. She was hot off her first victory in this new game. What could possibly go wrong?

_Let's hope I don't find out_, she thought as Lakitu swept in for the countdown.

**3… 2… 1… GO!**

Unfortunately for her, she had not been as diligent with the rocket start as she had been the first time. She didn't stall out, but Luigi and Crumbelina had retaken their original places in the top three.

After an immediate, sharp turn to the right was the first set of item boxes, scattered amongst a sweet shore of brown sugar. To the left lay an ocean of soda, with a jagged rock protruding from its depths.

While Vanellope was waiting for her item, Wario suddenly sped ahead of her, cutting her off and ramming her into the rock wall. _What was that?! _She thought. Then from behind her, she saw Toad use the exact same maneuver Wario must have done- he had used a Mushroom to cut through the water, ramping off the rock for a speed boost.

When the item roulette came to a stop after the next right turn, Vanellope received a Mushroom herself. Dead ahead lay a long straight immediately to the right of a sunken ship, and Vanellope decided to beat Wario at his own game. Instead of taking the path above the water, she headed straight for the ship. Using the Mushroom to cut through a patch of rough before the ship, she boosted across the bow and over a glide pad, whisking her ahead of everyone except Luigi.

At the next right turn, the track came to a chocolate boardwalk- and a broken one at that. Although at first unsure what to do, Vanellope watched as Luigi deliberately drove off the edge of the pier. "Guess we're going in!" Vanellope yelled as she followed, landing on an underwater antigravity stretch that curved to the left.

When the racers emerged from the water, they found themselves racing along the side of an island- the same island where the distant lighthouse sat. "Yeah ha!" Vanellope yelped as she drove over the glide pad that ended the antigravity segment, gliding over the soda-filled sea and back across the finish line.

**LAP 2!**

Although she was far ahead of the rest of the pack, Vanellope was fully expecting having to resort to items to nudge Luigi out of the top spot. Yet surprisingly, as she rounded the first turn again, she passed him on the inside, without any items at all. She shot the plumber a look and snickered as she sped on.

This time, the item box gave her a mere Banana. She wasn't expecting much, but she didn't know what good this was going to do against anything Luigi had to throw at her.

Still, she equipped it just in time- right as a green-hued fireball shot its way in her direction. She glanced behind her, spotting Luigi armed with several fireballs, and remembered something- _those must be his special attack._ Swerving frantically around the stretch with the ship, she managed to fend off Luigi's attacks.

In the underwater section, the item boxes gave her a Banana once again. This time she equipped it immediately, unsure of what may have been coming from behind her. It was a long while later that lap- during the last gliding section- that Luigi's Red Shell finally found its way to her, striking the Banana and falling to pieces. Vanellope, unfazed from the attempted attack, drove on to begin her third lap.

**FINAL LAP!**

Rounding the first turn, she passed through the item boxes and received, much to her surprise and delight, another Mushroom. _I know exactly what I'm doing with _this, she thought, and after the next right turn, there was the sunken ship, complete with its lucrative glide pad.

Drifting through the fizzy waters, Vanellope used the Mushroom and boosted across the ship's bow yet again. But just as she crossed the glide pad and took off over the watery abyss, a startlingly familiar buzzing noise and a flash of blue emanated from behind her.

Vanellope's stomach turned over. She knew what it was- she had been attacked by one herself not too long ago- and frantically tried to touch down on solid ground. But it was no use. The Spiny Shell struck her moments before she could reach the track again, and she plummeted helplessly into the drink. When Lakitu fished her out again, she found herself back in 3rd place once more.

"Noooo…" she moaned. _And I almost had it!_

Knowing another set of item boxes was coming, Vanellope drove off the boardwalk, passing Crumbelina, and received three Mushrooms this time. The first boost put her right behind Luigi, and on the second she passed him, ramming him for good measure and gaining more speed. But after gliding over the water and touching down on the beach, she failed to notice Donkey Kong's inconveniently placed Giant Banana.

"Whoa!" she screamed as she spun out, and Luigi took the lead. But Vanellope remembered she still had one more Mushroom left, and right before Luigi could take first place for himself…

**FINISH!**

Vanellope used it to boost ahead of him!

"Sweet mother of monkey milk, I did it!" she cheered as she began to zoom around the stage, with another first-place win under her belt.

_How do ya like _that, _Mario? _She thought to herself. Against the arcade's best racer, not even the Mushroom Kingdom's finest stood a chance!

**1****st** Vanellope +9 pts (18 total)

**2****nd** Luigi +6 pts (7 total)

**3****rd** Crumbelina +3 pts (9 total)

**4****th** Donkey Kong +1 pt (1 total)

"Not bad, Mr. L!" cheered the girl, happy to see the arcade's owner having a great time, still wanting a piece of the action herself.

"Yep… I still got it!" Litwak chuckled to himself. He was trying to remember how he had pulled that good start off the first time. He didn't seem to get it right last time… Maybe you had to hold down on the gas for the whole countdown?

"Why don't we try that this time?" he murmured as the screen dissolved again, ready to begin the next race.

**150cc Mushroom Cup- Round 3**

**Peach Candy Factory**

**Difficulty: 2/5**

This time, the track displayed on-screen recalled to Litwak's mind the factory level from _Mario Kart Wii_. It weaved its way through a bakery, a mixing room, and a room full of conveyor belts. As the camera panned away from the factory to reveal the racers and the finish line outside, he inquisitively eased his foot on the accelerator, ready to race.

Vanellope was just as ready herself, and she smiled and waved to a cluster of nearby candy fans gathered around a giant statue of Princess Peach holding a box of candy. Looking past the statue, she saw that the track entered some kind of building. _Looks like we'll be heading in there, I guess…_

Her train of thought was derailed by the rumbles coming from under her kart. _Uh-oh, I'm gonna stall out! _She thought as she hopped frantically about her kart.

**3… 2… 1… GO!**

The moment the green flag dropped, her kart did just that, and she joined Toad and Rancis as they themselves spun out of control.

("Nope, I guess that's not how it's done!" sighed Litwak, his hand to his face.)

Vanellope wasn't sure she'd started poorly- all she knew was that she was all the way back in 6th, and she wasn't getting ahead without a little help from the item boxes.

But as she rounded a right turn around the statue and entered the factory, the bakery was the first thing to meet her eyes. It was magnificent, full of larger-than-life cakes and cookies, and Toads were scurrying about, carrying trays of the delicacies to be displayed in the shop's windows.

As she exited the bakery, passing Wario, she reached the item boxes. But when the roulette came to a stop, it landed on something odd- a question mark! What could this do?!

Vanellope, however, was quick to figure it out- the moment the roulette ended, her entire kart began to glitch! She realized this must have been her unique special move, and as the track curved upwards in antigravity and through the mixing room, she used it to slide past Donkey Kong and into 4th place.

The track entered a narrow hall that curved around to the right in a U-turn, and cakes and pastries were visible in the nearby windows, being packaged into boxes. Rounding the U-turn, Vanellope passed Peach on the inside.

"Pretty sweet bakery ya got here, Peach!" Vanellope called out to her.

"Why thank you, Vanellope," answered the princess, "but you might find _this _a little less sweet!"

Vanellope had no idea what she was talking about until suddenly, a giant, white, squidlike thing appeared in front of her kart. It lingered there for a few moments before spraying thick, dark ink all over her and her windshield.

"What the h- YEAAAGH!"

Peach took advantage of Vanellope's distraction and sped away. The ink didn't seem to have affected her, although she could see Luigi and Crumbelina swerving blindly, far ahead of her. That was about all she _could_ see, however, and as she entered a room full of conveyor belts and machinery, she was oblivious to the piston coming down on her from above. It flattened her like a pancake.

"YOWCH!" As the ink cleared away, Vanellope took a look at her flattened form and sped ahead, if only to get away from Wario, who chuckled at her from behind. Fighting every desire in her entire being to punch him, she returned to normal size just in time to cross the nearby glide pad. She soared over machines and conveyors full of cakes and out the loading bay, where she dodged the candy cars there (pushing Peach into one for good measure) and began her second lap, still in 4th place.

**LAP 2!**

The second lap didn't start off any better than the first- she absent-mindedly drove over a slick of Rancis' Fluggerbutter Oil and spun out- but she could clearly see Donkey Kong, Crumbelina and Luigi dead ahead of her as she exited the bakery.

For the gazillionth time, the item box gave her a Mushroom again, and driving over the antigravity panel that weaved around the giant mixer, she used it to nudge Donkey Kong off the track- careening down into the abyss below.

As she entered the mixing room for the second time, she noticed the large mixers that were stirring the batter that they were racing on… they looked suspiciously like ramps. While Luigi and Crumbelina veered around them, Vanellope instead confirmed her suspicions and drove over them, executing a trick as she went along. The burst of speed that followed was enough for her to pass Crumbelina.

The next trip through the U-turn was enough for Vanellope to execute a mini-turbo and pass Luigi- only for Luigi to retaliate with a Green Shell. As the shell struck her kart, Luigi passed her, giving her a look… an oddly sinister sort of look.

_Now _that_ was creepy_, Vanellope thought. _It almost looked like something from one of those Internet gag websites or something…_

Still trailing Luigi, she entered the conveyor room as before, but this time she could actually see where she was going. Noticing that certain green conveyors pointed forward and red ones traveled backward, she tentatively drove over one of the green conveyors. It pushed her forward, and by riding the conveyor belts she was able to get a surprisingly long speed boost. It was helpful, for sure, but nowhere near enough to catch up with Luigi as he crossed the finish line, Vanellope right behind him.

**FINAL LAP!**

The pair of racers, now leading the others by a wide margin, passed Peach's statue once again and headed for the bakery. Inside, she noticed several Toads fretting over the disappearance of a large cake that had been there during her last lap. _Wouldn't surprise me if Wario stole it_, she smirked.

She was in for an even bigger shock when the item box she passed through gave her… an item box? "What am I supposed to do with this?!" she asked, deploying it and looking backward, dumbstruck, as what appeared to be a normal item box trailed behind her kart. But just as she passed Luigi, he crashed into it… and flipped over.

That was when Vanellope noticed the upside-down '?' mark that adorned the box. _Oh I see, _she thought, _you're _not_ supposed_ _to hit them!_

Ramping off the mixers in the cake batter room once again, Vanellope was cruising with a solid lead… until the sound of a racer with a Star found her ears. She swerved out of the way as a multicolored kart shot past her.

It was Crumbelina. "You're pretty good, Vanellope, but I'm catching on to this _Mario Kart _business faster than you!" she called behind her as they passed the conveyors.

Just then, Vanellope heard another buzzing sound from behind her and smiled. "Oh really? Well, did you catch on to _that_, Crumbles?" she asked, pointing behind her.

Crumbelina had obviously overlooked the Spiny Shell, because by the time it caught up to her it was too late for her to avoid it. It converged on her right over the pit of conveyors, and Vanellope could see her sulking as Lakitu fished her out.

Vanellope glided out the loading bay and past the final right turn. For the first time thus far, the finish line was wide open…

**FINISH!**

…and ripe for crossing.

Mr. Litwak could hardly contain himself as he watched the tiny racer hop about gleefully, another 1st place win under her belt. It had been far too long since he'd played _Mario Kart_, but through this mysterious new game in his arcade, it felt like it was only yesterday since he'd been behind the wheel.

**1****st** Vanellope +9 pts (27 total)

**2****nd** Luigi +6 pts (13 total)

**3****rd** Peach +3 pts (6 total)

**4****th** Crumbelina +1 pt (10 total)

"I didn't know this game even existed, did you, Mr. Litwak?"

Litwak turned to his customer, just as puzzled as she was. "Your guess is as good as mine, sweetheart," he told her. "But hey, while it's here, might as well enjoy it, right?"

He certainly was enjoying it himself, especially since he knew there was only one track left in this round, and the game's first cup would have to end on a high note.

**150cc Mushroom Cup- Final Round**

**Layer-Cake Desert**

**Difficulty: 2/5**

Litwak knew all too well what sort of track this was going to turn out to be- Pokeys, crumbling chocolate Moai statues and a gingerbread pyramid adorned this sandy world. Yet what startled him was the sinkhole that lay in the center of the track, at an apparent dead end. What could _that_ be about?!

Vanellope, now boarding her Candy Kart, had seen it too, and was equally nonplussed by it. She felt as though there had to be some kind of secret involved with it… and like it or not, as Lakitu flew over for the final countdown, she was going to find out.

**3… 2… 1… GO!**

Much to the relief of Vanellope (and Litwak), she had managed to nail the rocket start again. Crumbelina, determined to avenge her for placing 4th in the last race, briefly passed her, but after an initial U-turn to the right, Vanellope bumped her into the thick sand, and took back the lead.

After a left turn, the racer found herself facing a giant sea of Nesquik-sand to her right. Far behind her, Rancis used a Mushroom to boost ahead and crashed into Toad, sending him careening into the sand. Vanellope gulped as she spotted Lakitu carrying him out of the chocolate milk mix, and took the hint: "Okay, let's not drive through that stuff."

Pokeys roamed the sandy hills that encompassed the next two turns to the left, and several hapless racers crashed right into them. But not Vanellope- she knew to steer clear of harm's way, dodging not only the Pokeys but also the Moai statues, which had begun to crumble and collapse over the track.

And then, after one more sharp right turn, there it was- the sinkhole. For the first time in the entire cup, Vanellope hit the brakes, and simply sat at the edge of the track, looking on. What was she to do? There was no other path for her to take- the sinkhole appeared to be a dead end- yet if she drove into it she would surely need to be fished back out by Lakitu, just as Toad had been-

But then Luigi and Crumbelina swept past her and deliberately drove on- right into the sinkhole- and her question was answered for her. Slamming both feet on the gas, she headed straight for it.

The moment her wheels touched the trail of moving sand, she lost control of her kart, and the sinkhole pulled her in, sucking her in deeper and deeper… until at last, she found herself in the middle of some kind of underground tunnel.

"Where _are_ we?!" she wondered. No sooner had the thought crossed her mind did she drive over an antigravity panel, and begin to race across the ceiling and over Luigi.

The tunnel came to a sudden end in the middle of some kind of large antechamber, and Vanellope performed a trick as she drove over the edge. Here, the road veered to the left, up a flight of stairs, and turned to the right. A pair of rolling Rhomps guarded this long straight, but Vanellope dodged them. It was only after three more turns to the right and passing over a glide panel through an opening in the wall did her location sink in.

"Whoa! We were inside the pyramid that whole time!"

Indeed, the path leading out of the pyramid led her straight back to the finish line.

**LAP 2!**

Passing by the sea of quicksand, Vanellope spotted another of Donkey Kong's Giant Bananas, and made sure to avoid it as she collected her own item, a Green Shell.

The lap progressed uneventfully, Vanellope still trailing behind Crumbelina, until the pair of them came to the Moai statues that had previously been hazards. Unlike Crumbelina, however, Vanellope had noticed that these fallen statues resembled ramps. She drove over one and executed a trick, then another, and the resulting boosts put her back in the top spot.

The sinkhole didn't scare her anymore- this time she headed straight for it, and the sand pulled her back into the underground tunnel. When she found herself in the pyramid again, she swerved to avoid the Rhomps, and skidded right into another slick of Fluggerbutter Oil. She spun out again, narrowly missing the passing Rhomps.

"Really, Rancis?!" she yelled out.

Drifting back around to the glide panel, Vanellope took off through the hole in the pyramid's wall, descending its stairs and zooming across the finish line a second time.

**FINAL LAP!**

Vanellope had been holding on to a Green Shell ever since the start of the last lap, and she decided the time was ripe to use it. She chucked it behind her, and it struck poor Crumbelina, who once again tumbled into the thick sand.

She whipped around to taunt her, but forgot about the obstacle that lay on the road ahead of her. For the second time in the cup, Vanellope hit the Giant Banana and spun out- straight into the Nesquik-sand.

Vanellope was left to grovel to herself as Lakitu fished her out. She wasn't hurt, but the untimely collision had set her back to 3rd, and the final lap was almost half-over.

"Not good!" Vanellope growled. "C'mon!"

She was still in 3rd place as she reached the sinkhole and was pulled into the underground depths, but was able to use the boost pads on the ceiling to pass both Crumbelina and Luigi, in the nick of time. Her Candy Kart continued on until it reached the glide pad and shot into the air for a final time.

That's when the sound pierced the air again. Vanellope wheeled around and saw the Spiny Shell coming; it had knocked over Crumbelina and Luigi. But they were close behind, and if it reached her before she crossed the finish line…

"C'mon… Almost there…"

The Shell was closing in on her…

"C'mon!"

The Shell was now hovering right over her kart, ready to strike-

**FINISH!**

It struck her only too late- milliseconds _after _she crossed the finish line. "YOWCH!" she screamed, momentarily fazed by the attack, then, immediately realizing what had happened, she leapt up and down happily.

"I did it! I WON!"

Litwak was just as happy for her, as he himself couldn't remember the last time he'd straight-up aced a _Mario Kart _cup on the highest difficulty level. No matter how young or old you are, or how good at gaming you considered yourself, pulling off that feat was always something to be proud of.

**1****st** Vanellope +9 pts (36 total)

**2****nd** Luigi +6 pts (19 total)

**3****rd** Crumbelina +3 pts (13 total)

**4****th** Peach +1 pt (7 total)

Litwak hit the gas again, and an option reading "NEXT" flashed across the screen. With no idea what to expect, he selected it.

For a moment, the screen went dark, before the Mushroom Cup's seal appeared on it and the game leapt right into a race on Vanellope Circuit. At first, Litwak thought he was playing again, but then he saw Vanellope get zapped by Lightning over the big jump, and it hit him- he was watching a replay of his own performance. The highlight reel ended with Vanellope's ultra-sneaky save at the very end with her Banana, before crossing the finish.

A familiar sight then met the arcade owner's eyes- the Mushroom Cup was descending from the top of the screen, in a fashion similar to the original _Sugar Rush_, right into Vanellope's outstretched hands. She caught it and held it out in front of her happily.

**CONGRATULATIONS! You got 1****st**** Place!**

**Rank: A**

"Hey, all right! And I got an A-rank, too! That's the best there is!" Litwak chuckled. The girl knew that a 3-Star rank was actually the best, but didn't bother telling him. Instead, she cleared her throat.

Litwak turned and remembered instantly that she had been waiting to play for a while now. "Sorry to keep you waiting, sweetie. Here, why don't I give you some of my quarters, and you can have that fancy new game all to yourself!"

"Really?" the girl asked, taken aback by Litwak's offer. But Litwak kept his word, and handed her $2 worth of quarters- good for eight more races. "Thanks, Mr. Litwak! You're the best!"

"No problem, kiddo," said Litwak. "Hey, now what's going on with the game?"

The two of them turned back to the screen as the game proclaimed its news.

**CONGRATULATIONS! New racer unlocked!**

**SHY GUY**

**Weight: **Super Light

**Speed: **3/5

**Handling: **4/5

**Sweetness: **2/5

**Kart: **The Snowballer

**Special Item: **Ice Cream Cannon

"Whoa!" the girl exclaimed. "There weren't any _unlockable _racers in _Sugar Rush_!"

"No there weren't, were there?" As much as he loved this new game, Litwak couldn't help but observe just how odd it was- first _Sugar Rush _gets new tracks, then new racers altogether! Still… he didn't see anything _glitchy _with the game, so he decided for now it was best to further explore it- if only from the sidelines.

"Well good luck, sweetheart," he said kindly, looking on.

"Thanks, Mr. L!" his friend replied, as the game continued its news.

**CONGRATULATIONS! You've unlocked the Flower Cup!**

"The Flower Cup, eh?" the girl murmured. "Sounds pretty sweet…"

But now that she was behind the wheel at last, she knew exactly where she was headed off to next- the Shell Cup.

It was time for a blast from the past.

**((You heard it here, folks… **_**Mario Kart: Sugar Rush **_**is underway! We'll be back next time with the Shell Cup, but until then, remember: there's still time to send me character/track requests, so don't delay! And stay tuned, because more updates will be coming soon!**

** See you next time… At the starting line for the 150cc Shell Cup!**

** Stay Sweet,**

** 1upDawg))**


	4. Chapter 4: Shell It Like It Is

** ((Hey, 1upDawg here, and at last, it's time to roll out MKSR's Retro Grand Prix! We'll get things started for today with the Shell Cup. If you like what you see, or you have any suggestions for where to take the story, let me know in a review! But for now, though, the Shell Cup is underway, and it looks as though an old foe will return to contend for it…))**

Chapter 4: Shell it like it is

Litwak had taken his sweet time with his latest game, but waiting for him to finish had paid off- now his most frequent customer was getting to experience _Mario Kart: Sugar Rush _firsthand for herself. The arcade owner pulled up a seat behind the game console, looking on as his little friend inserted another quarter to start a new game.

This brought her to the character select screen. All those Mario series regulars looked quite enticing, but she decided for now to keep things safe, and chose one of her favorites from the original _Sugar Rush _game.

**RANCIS**

**Weight: **Medium

**Speed: **2/5

**Handling: **4/5

**Sweetness: **3/5

**Kart: **The Kit Kart

**Special Item: **Fluggerbutter Oil

The cup select screen returned, but she knew exactly where she wanted to go. Using the steering wheel, she hovered the cursor over the Shell Cup and used the gas to select it. Little did she and Litwak know they were in for a trip down memory lane…

…

"Great-a racing, kid!" Luigi complemented Vanellope as she hopped off the podium with her first-place trophy in hand.

"Yeah!" Mario agreed. "I hate to say it, but it-a looks like Team Sugar Rush is up by one point!" As he spoke, a trophy icon was added next to the profiles of the Sugar Rush racers on the game's jumbotron.

"And don't you chumps forget it!" gloated Vanellope. "Yer in for a rude awakening if you think you can bring us down!"

"We're just getting started!" chimed in Candlehead.

"Don't count your candles just-a yet," Mario snapped, making her look away quickly, blushing. "There's still a good seven cups left! It's not-a over yet!"

Suddenly, all eyes were on Rancis as he began to levitate, surrounded by a blue glow. "I'm chosen! I'm chosen!" he exclaimed.

"Another Sugar Rusher, eh?" Mario asked. "Well, it looks-a like Team Mario needs to send somebody out there to give-a these kids a run for their money!"

"And that somebody's ME!" came a growling voice from over their heads.

Vanellope and the others looked up in horror as none other than Bowser descended towards them in his Koopa Clown Car.

"Whoa, time out!" cried Vanellope. "What's _he _doing here?!"

"You invited him to the race? After everything he did to our game?!" Rancis yelled.

"Now, now, everyone," Mario reassured them, "he's just-a here for a few races and that's it! The members of Bad-Anon and I have-a made that _quite_ clear." He narrowed his eyes at the Koopa King.

"Aw, go jump in a pit, you shrimps," Bowser grumbled. "If you must know, I'm only in this for my health. It's not like being a King is the most stress-free job in the world, you know! Nothing like some good ol' karting to get the stress outta my system." Bowser glared at Mario. "And I'll take any chance I can get to blow your mustachioed mug off the face of the Earth," he muttered under his breath.

The Sugar Rushers exchanged looks, and it became clear that none of them were fully convinced. But there was no time to deliberate- the next game was starting. Eight more drivers- Rancis, along with Bowser, Vanellope, Shy Guy, Donkey Kong, Mario, Candlehead, and Yoshi- pulled up to the starting line of the Shell Cup- the game's first taste of delicious nostalgia.

**150cc Shell Cup- Round 1**

**PC Sweet Ride 1**

**Difficulty: 1/5**

Having both played the PC version of _Sugar Rush Speedway _(it was fairly recent, after all), the Shell Cup's first track was immediately recognizable to both Litwak and his customer. It didn't look like it had evolved a bit- whereas the new tracks had implemented gliding and antigravity, this classic track looked wholly unchanged.

The track was just as recognizable to the three Sugar Rushers who joined the Mario gang at the starting line. It had been a while since Rancis had raced here, but he still knew the track like the back of his hand. The Mario Karters were in for a rough race.

"Psst! Rancis!" Candlehead whispered right in front of him. "Don't screw this up!"

"Uh, thanks, I guess. You, uh… keep your head in the game," replied Rancis, seeing as Candlehead was situated right behind Mario. Knowing her, she was bound to stay that way for the rest of the game.

Rancis revved his engine just as Lakitu flew in to kick off the Shell Cup.

**3… 2… 1… GO!**

But Rancis was off to no better a start than he'd had in his poor Mushroom Cup performance- he had spun out, joining Yoshi and Candlehead at the back of the pack. It seemed that, like Litwak, the girl had forgotten how to execute the rocket start.

Luckily, the first set of item boxes was not too far off, and Rancis received three Red Shells. As the track passed under a giant Oreo, he shot a shell at Donkey Kong. DK's Banana Sprinter was flipped into the air, but the Oreo cushioned the blow, and soon the gorilla was breathing down Rancis' neck again- until Rancis swerved into him, using up another Shell and putting DK out of commission once again.

Rancis fired his last Shell just before passing the next set of items, and it struck Shy Guy, allowing he and Mario to pass by. The second box gave him a Red Shell, which he fired at Bowser, currently in second behind Vanellope. The Koopa King spun out with a roar, but he had put so much space between himself and Rancis that the Shell didn't have much of an impact. Rancis edged on Bowser's kart, beginning to draft behind him. Just a few more seconds and-

"Oh no you don't!"

Without warning, the chocolate-coated racer was flung off the track and into a taffy pit- Mario had rammed into his kart with a Mushroom.

But when Lakitu deposited him back on the track, now in sixth, Rancis instantly rocketed forward, passing Yoshi. Rancis was not going to let himself lose this time after all the effort he and Vanellope had undergone to help him prepare for this. He crossed the finish line in fifth, down but far from out.

**LAP 2!**

Luck didn't seem to be on his side as he began the second lap- the first wave of item boxes gave him a mere Green Shell. That didn't seem fair for being in fifth place- until he rounded out of the Candy Cane forest, threw it forward, and struck Mario, catching him completely off-guard. Rancis smiled as he took in the sight of his retribution, and for good measure pushed Mario off the road.

Sitting comfortably in third, the racer tried to gain as much ground on Bowser and Vanellope as he could. They were a ways ahead, but he was quickly gaining.

Out of his mirror, Rancis could see Mario spinning out from another attack. But he couldn't tell from what- until he heard the familiar invincibility music behind him. With a flash of gold, Shy Guy, now using a Star, swept into the Kit Kart, flipping Rancis over. Rancis found himself next to Mario once again when he came to a stop.

"I thought you'd know what-a you're doing, kid!" taunted Mario. "Isn't this-a your home course? You're never gonna pick up-a the pace now!"

"That's what you think, but it's not over yet!" Rancis said confidently as he zoomed over the finish line again. "There's still one lap left!"

**FINAL LAP!**

Thankfully, Rancis received a much more helpful item from the item boxes- a set of three Mushrooms. He crashed into Shy Guy, running him off the road just as Mario had done. Then he heard a whoosing sound and saw a flash of blue, and swerved just as a Spiny Shell swept past him. The Shell hit Bowser as he drove under the Oreo, but just as it had done with Donkey Kong, the Oreo softened the impact, and Bowser quickly hit the ground again, right as Rancis caught up to him.

Rancis used another of his Mushrooms to ram Bowser- but the Koopa King suddenly sped ahead of him, just he realized his last Mushroom was missing. Bowser had stolen it!

"Give it up, punk!" Bowser called out behind him.

But Rancis was determined. He knew the final set of boxes would give him the item he needed to win.

And he was right- he was given a Bob-omb. Taking careful aim, the racer lobbed the bomb right in front of Vanellope's kart. Vanellope gasped and swerved only too late, and the blast flipped both her and Bowser over. Rancis was finally in first place- right when and where he needed to be.

**FINISH!**

Rancis leapt up and down gleefully, basking in his last-minute victory.

Outside the game's world, the girl was just as relieved. It had been a while since she'd played a Mario Kart game, but even though this game was an entirely different animal, she felt right at home. And getting first place on her first try in a 150cc race! That was no easy task, no doubt about it.

Enough messing around, though- she was already off to a sloppy start. Now that she'd figured out the basics, it was time to race- for _real_.

**1****st**Rancis +9 pts.

**2****nd**Mario +6 pts.

**3****rd**Vanellope +3 pts.

**4****th**Bowser +1 pt.

"Well, well, well… A _Sugar Rush _track in a _Mario Kart _game!" exclaimed Litwak. "I wonder if there'll be older _Mario Kart _tracks in this as well!"

The girl was wondering that herself. The question was soon answered for her as the next track appeared on-screen. But… it didn't look familiar. It had to be from one of the older _Mario Kart _games, or maybe it had been completely overhauled to match the game's candy theme. Either way, she didn't recognize this track at all.

Mr. Litwak, however, did. "Ah, an old favorite of mine from back in the day!"

**150cc Shell Cup- Round 2**

**SNES Choco Island 1**

**Difficulty: 1/5**

The track itself looked pretty unremarkable, apart from being made entirely out of chocolate. It looked like a big, brown oval with a Glide Pad that jutted out of a raised platform just before the finish line.

"_This_ is one of your favorites?" Litwak's friend asked him. "I've never seen this one before!"

"Yep," answered the arcade owner. "Been a while since I played _Super Mario Kart_… this ought to bring back some old memories!"

_It's a good thing this track's got some nostalgia going for it_, the girl thought. _Otherwise, it looks like a pretty boring track…_

Inside the game, the chocolatey atmosphere of this new track was making Rancis' mouth water. Not even the Sugar Rushers had seen this much chocolate in their lives! As they pulled up to the starting line, surrounded by cheering Toads and Yoshis, they took in the scenery with looks of wonderment.

Rancis, however, was keeping his head in the game. He was off to a good start; all he needed to do was focus. Besides, this was a track made of chocolate- hiscandy theme! How could he lose _here_, of all places?

**3… 2… 1… GO!**

Rancis zoomed forward, but so did Vanellope and Bowser. He tried swerving into the Koopa King to cut him off, but his Kit Kart was no match for the immense weight of Bowser's Red-Hot Rod. The racer found himself pushed off the road and into the dark chocolate that surrounded it, slowing him down. In desperation he hopped frantically, trying to get himself back on the road.

Before long, he was back on track, but he had a ways to go to catch up with the three racers in front of him. And, as he noted after passing a few item boxes after the first sharp left turn, this wasn't a terribly long track. He didn't have as much time to recover…

Yet he continued smoothly, passing Shy Guy and Bowser, until the next turn to the left led him to a large pit of chocolate syrup. On the right lay a raised portion of track with a Glide Pad and two item boxes- the course's shortcut.

Rancis noticed it too late and swerved to the right to reach it, but the slippery syrup greatly reduced his traction, and he ended up driving right into an inconveniently placed Banana. It wasn't enough to keep him from reaching the ramp, though, and while Vanellope and Bowser drove over the finish line, Rancis flew over it instead.

**LAP 2!**

The glider allowed Rancis to fly right over the patch of muddy chocolate Bowser had shunted him into on his first lap, and he soon found himself right behind them. As the threesome rounded the first corner and entered the next stretch, flanked by item boxes and ramps, Rancis executed trick after trick. By the next turn, he was way out in front.

This time, he was prepared for the glider ramp, and he kept to the right of the track, forgoing the stray coins to his left. Looking back to watch as the others desperately tried to catch up, he made his way to the Glide Panel.

It was only after driving over it and soaring over the finish did he hear the sound behind him. The Sugar Rushers had been trained to fear that whooshing noise…

**FINAL LAP!**

Rancis tried desperately to return to the ground, but the Blue Shell caught up to him before he could succeed. It sent him plummeting into the same exact rough he had been cast into earlier on in the race, and hopping his way back to the main road cost him the lead. But he wasn't far behind. The ramps along the next stretch once again brought him closer to the front.

From up ahead, Bowser threw a Shell at him. He swerved out of the way, and it struck Vanellope, giving him a chance to pass her. But he knew he would never reach Bowser before the finish line…

Or so he thought. Right at the final left turn, Rancis began to draft behind the Koopa King, and the resulting boost catapulted him from second…

**FINISH!**

…into first.

Rancis was overjoyed. This was the best winning streak he'd ever had! Why couldn't Mario and his friends stop by more often?

**1****st**Rancis +9 pts. (18 total)

**2****nd**Bowser +6 pts. (7 total)

**3****rd**Vanellope +3 pts. (6 total)

**4****th**Shy Guy +1 pt. (1 total)

The girl controlling him, though relieved at placing first, was not nearly so contented. "I don't know about you, but I don't like this track," she told Litwak.

"Heh… Well, at least it looks a bit more high-definition than it did back in the days," he chuckled. "I wonder what's next?"

But when the third track emerged, neither of them recognized it. All they knew from looking at it was, even back when it was new, it had to have been one of the craziest ideas for a _Mario Kart _track ever…

**150cc Shell Cup- Round 3**

**GBA Cheese Land**

**Difficulty: 2/5**

…A track made of cheese?! Whose idea was this?

"I've never seen this one either! Have you?" she asked Litwak.

"Nope… but it sure looks crazy!" he replied.

It certainly was unique, in both idea and appearance. There was something else that set it apart from the previous two tracks in the Shell Cup, however- a hillside with the distinctive blue glow of an antigravity track.

As he pulled up to the starting line, Rancis took note of this mountainside too. _Finally! Time for some off-the-walls action! …Or is it _on _the walls? _He thought as Lakitu flew in to signal the start of the Shell Cup's third race.

**3… 2… 1… GO!**

For the second time Rancis nailed the rocket start, advancing straight to the front of the pack. Immediately the track curved to the left in a U-turn, and gradually turned right in a zigzagging formation. Strange pillars of cheese bordered the track, and Bowser, using one of three Mushrooms he had received from the item boxes, pushed Shy Guy into one. The masked minion became caught behind it, and was forced to drive his way through the rough off-road to get back on track.

Rancis rounded the next turn and found himself inside a long straight. On his right was the colossal cheese mountain he had seen earlier, and the track weaved up the mountainside before coming back to the ground. To his left was another ramp with a Glide Pad, the side of which Bowser knocked Rancis into using his Mushroom. Colliding with the wall didn't faze him as much as his previous attack from a Mushroom, however- he'd lost his momentum, but at least he was still on the road.

After the straight, the twisted track looped to the left, leading to the Glide Pad. To his astonishment, Rancis found himself soaring over the track he'd just driven on- a concept unheard of in _Sugar Rush_- and landed on the mountain.

The track shot up into the sky. After a long straight, the mountain path took a U-turn to the right that culminated into yet _another _jump over the track! These _Mario Kart _tracks weren't just sweeter than even the ones in _Sugar Rush_, Rancis realized… they were way, way crazier.

But the craziest surprise of all came after the jump. Rancis chased down Bowser as the track curved to the left again, and his jaw dropped.

"What the- oh man, there's _mice!_"

The twisting straight ahead was populated with giant mice, patrolling the cheesy landscape they must have called home. As Rancis continued to follow Bowser, one of the mice gave a high-pitched squeak and chased down the Koopa King, flipping his kart over before his eyes. But just as he passed Bowser, he heard another loud squeak coming from off to his right-

"Whoaaaaa!"

And just like that, the malignant mouse flipped over Rancis' kart. Just when he'd taken the lead and everything!

Fortunately, the other racers seemed to be having the exact same issue. Shy Guy was flipped over by an approaching mouse, and Donkey Kong struck one of the Green Shells he'd equipped, spinning out. Mario attempted to swerve around them and collided into yet another mouse, and Candlehead, trying to divide her attention between the road and Mario, followed him into the rough.

That didn't leave Rancis with much in the way of competition from the back- he, Vanellope and Bowser were far, far ahead of everyone else. All that he had to do with take back the lead. And with a good two laps left, there was plenty of time.

**LAP 2!**

It wasn't until the first straight that Rancis caught up to the two frontrunners. He tried to draft behind Vanellope, and succeeded only too late. The boost carried him into the long drift to the left, and Rancis, unable to handle the sharp turn, boosted off-road. The other racers passed him again, and he was still in third as he glided to the cheesy mountainside.

On the mountain, he discovered the biggest perk of antigravity racing as he collided with both Vanellope and Bowser, and boosted himself into the lead. When he descended to the jump ramp, he executed a trick for good measure and powerslided to the left.

There were more pillars of cheese on this twisted straight, but Rancis had already decided that they would be the least of his problems. The real hazards were the mice, always in search of racers to attack. Another locked on to him and followed him as he passed through an item box, and he sped out of the way just in time.

The item box gave him a mere Banana, which Rancis, knowing that Bananas and other less powerful items were only given to the top racers, took as a compliment as he drove over the finish a second time.

**FINAL LAP!**

One lap left. There was no stopping him now! All he had to do was make it through the course one more time without getting hit by any of those pesky mice, and victory was his. He could do it!

Just before the loop to the left, however, a Red Shell struck him.

"Did you think I'd make it too easy on you, kid?" Bowser growled, passing him.

But Rancis had one last trick up his sleeve. As he and Bowser reached the glide pad, he flung his Banana forward- right in front of the Koopa King. Bowser roared furiously as he spun off of the Glide Pad- and over the edge. He had been dropped right back where he'd started. Rancis acknowledged him with a mock salute as he soared over him.

The antigravity stretch was no problem for him. The extra boosts from the two jumps had given him a considerable lead- even more so now that Bowser catching up to him again was out of the picture.

Driving out of the hoard of mice, however, Rancis heard his least favorite sound again. He hurriedly executed turbo after turbo- the finish was right there, and all he had to do was reach it in time. But the Blue Shell was gaining on him…

And just as the Shell struck-

**FINISH!**

Rancis crossed the finish line, netting another first place win.

Things were looking considerably good for the Sugar Rushers- all Rancis needed to do was win one more race to take the Cup!

**1****st**Rancis +9 pts. (27 total)

**2****nd**Vanellope +6 pts. (12 total)

**3****rd**Shy Guy +3 pts. (4 total)

**4****th**Bowser +1 pt. (8 total)

"You're doing pretty good, kiddo!" Litwak complemented his customer.

"Yeah, it's been a while!" she answered. "These _Mario Kart _tracks are pretty old, though. Why don't they reuse something from _Mario Kart Wii _or something?"

"Hmmm…" said Litwak. "Y'know, I was looking at some promos for that _Mario Kart 8 _game, and one of the tracks they showed looked pretty similar to _Sugar Rush_. I'm surprised they didn't reuse _that _one, this game having a candy theme after all. Now, what _was _the name of that track…"

But Litwak would wonder no longer. The next track was flashing across the screen, and his question was answered for him.

**150cc Shell Cup- Final Round**

**Wii U Sweet Sweet Canyon**

**Difficulty: 2/5**

"Well, I'll be!" he exclaimed. "Heh… Nintendo never ceases to amaze."

The track was indeed amazing looking, if more or less unchanged from its modern-day counterpart. Notably, however, the gingerbread men from the original were replaced by actual candy fans, and _Sugar Rush_'s jumbotron made a reappearance.

Rancis was bracing himself for this last race- just from looking at it, it was without question the craziest track of the bunch. He was going to have to play it safe- the rest of _Sugar Rush _was counting on him.

**3… 2… 1… GO!**

Rancis took off, keeping himself at the front of the pack once more. He was determined to keep his eyes on the track, to prepare himself for anything.

But after exiting the tunnel at the first turn, there was little that could prepare him for the dizzying glide over the track below. Rancis yelled hysterically as if on a rollercoaster as he whizzed over the track's soda lake, landing on a layer-cake platform on its other side.

The lake, however, soon found its way to the track, and Rancis was confronted with another shocking realization: he was going underwater. Holding his breath, he plunged into the soda, and almost immediately the track split in half. It was a double helix with blue and pink spiraling paths- just like the one in _Sugar Rush_. It was a nice touch.

Unsure of which path to take, Rancis chose the blue spiral and found himself shifting into antigravity once again. Behind him he could see throngs of other racers tangled up between the two paths, but he kept his lead up until the jump back to the main part of the track.

Before he even knew what hit him, he was met with a mouthful of teeth and flipped over- he had driven right into a Piranha Plant. He had seen them before in Choco Island 1, sure, but compared to those plants- these were _massive! _He quickly drove away in fright, and his frantic swerving cost him the lead to Bowser as he began his second lap.

**LAP 2!**

After passing through the item boxes before the big jump, Rancis was in for a surprise- he received his own special item!

"Fluggerbutter Oil! All right!" he exclaimed to himself. "I know just what to do with this!"

And as he rounded the corner into the underwater stretch once more, he sped off for the pink path this time and drove diagonally across the track, depositing his slippery oil slicks all across the path. The rest of the pack was in for a nasty surprise when they reached the pink path…

But Rancis still had Bowser to worry about. The Koopa King was stubbornly holding onto his lead, and the attack from the same Piranha Plant that had struck him before didn't help one bit. He executed a trick off the final ramp and followed Bowser across the finish line, not far behind.

**FINAL LAP!**

The item boxes were not on his side this time around- all Rancis got this time was another Banana. He was hoping for at least a Red Shell, but there was still plenty of time to chase his spiky nemesis down.

Luckily, he didn't need to wait long. Just before the underwater section, he heard the familiar hum of a Blue Shell and swerved out of the way.

"Oh crud- Gwaaaah!" roared Bowser as the Shell struck him. Rancis had a clear shot at first place now… he was going to win! The trophy was his…

And he was so concentrated on the thought of winning that he forgot about his own Fluggerbutter Oil and spun out- right off the track.

But he was still in first?! How did that happen?

Well, Rancis sure wasn't complaining. Finally navigating the throngs of Piranha Plants and trick-boosting over the final ramp, Rancis whizzed across the finish line for his most solid victory yet.

**FINISH!**

The first cup in the Retro Grand Prix was over- and it belonged to Rancis!

"Yes!" he shrieked. After all those winless years, all it took was a little outside influence- namely Mario's- to help get him back in the game.

**1****st**Rancis +9 pts. (36 total)

**2****nd**Bowser +6 pts. (14 total)

**3****rd**Vanellope +3 pts. (15 total)

**4****th**Shy Guy +1 pt. (5 total)

After selecting "NEXT", Litwak and the girl were treated to the same cinematic they'd witnessed from their previous race- only this time, it was little Rancis Fluggerbutter making his way to the podium, where they- and even Rancis himself- knew he belonged.

**CONGRATULATIONS! You got 1****st**** Place!**

**Rank: B**

"A B-Rank? I guess it's been a while, huh?" she said.

"I know that feeling," added Litwak. "But hey, a B-Rank's nothing to sneeze at, right? Besides, you won your first race! And from the looks of it, you've unlocked a new character too!"

**CONGRATULATIONS! New racer unlocked!**

**TAFFYTA**

**Weight: **Light

**Speed: **4/5

**Handling: **3/5

**Sweetness: **2/5

**Kart: **The Pink Lightning

**Special Item: **Sweet Seekers

"All right! My favorite!" the girl exclaimed, eager to return to the character-select screen. But the game had not yet finished its news.

**CONGRATULATIONS! You've unlocked the Banana Cup!**

As intriguing as the Banana Cup sounded, she decided it could wait for another race- especially if it was going to give her more of those Super NES courses she'd never heard of. So for the time being, she was going to put the Retro Grand Prix to the wayside.

The Flower Cup was waiting.

** ((Well folks, that's the end of MKSR's first Retro Cup! If you have any retro requests of your own, hurry and send them to me- the spaces are filling up fast! Otherwise, check back soon as MKSR continues with the next Nitro Cup: the Flower Cup!**

** Arrivederci,**

** 1upDawg))**


	5. Chapter 5: Flower Power

**((Hey guys. In case you haven't noticed, progress on MKSR has been slower than I'd hoped. The good news is I'm back from vacation; the bad news is classes just started and I'll be even busier than ever. I'd really hate to put this fic on hiatus, so I'll try and squeeze in more of it when I can. For now, have the hotly anticipated Flower Cup!))**

Chapter 5: Flower Power

Moppet Girl was no _Mario Kart _expert, but she'd played enough of the games in the series to know there hadn't yet been a game quite like this one. The aesthetic style was pure _Sugar Rush_, but the gameplay stayed true to the series' original formula, with a roster of characters from both series she absolutely loved!

As for that roster, though, she'd already seen two Sugar Rushers in action. It was time to get back down to basics with the ever-familiar Mario gang. So when she reached the character-select screen, she opted for one of her personal favorite _Mario _characters- and a good comfort zone for novice karters.

**YOSHI**

**Weight: **Medium

**Speed: **3/5

**Handling: **2/5

**Sweetness: **4/5

**Kart: **The Easter Egg

**Special Item: **Yoshi Eggs

That brought her to the cup select menu. There were two new cups available- the Banana Cup, which brought back another four classic tracks, and the Flower Cup. The Banana Cup could wait, she decided- the new tracks were always the best part of any new _Mario Kart _game.

…

"I gotta hand it to ya, kid," growled Wario, "you don't look it, but ya sure know what you're doing behind the wheel!"

"Yeah, congrats, Rancis!" Mario agreed, as the scoreboard lit up over him, showing the score for the Mario gang vs. the Sugar Rushers: 0-2. "Looks-a like your devilishly good luck-a paid off!"

"Heh heh… Luck's got nothing to do with it," chuckled Rancis, tossing his trophy in the air and catching it flawlessly.

"I dunno 'bout that," murmured Wario, "but I know this much- you losers ain't seen nothin' yet! You just wait till we get a _comeback!_"

As if on cue, Yoshi's body rose into the air and emitted a blue glow, and the dinosaur let out a squeal of delight.

"Lookit that!" said Mario. "This might-a be the comeback we need! Places, everyone! Ready, Yoshi?"

Yoshi replied with another delighted squeal.

Mario nodded, then turned to face his friends. "Come on, guys- we're-a still in this! We can still win! Don't-a let me down! Let's-a go and win this one… for team Mario!"

**150cc Flower Cup- Round 1**

**Pancake Parkway**

**Difficulty: 2/5**

Moppet Girl didn't like the looks of this one- for a course with a mere 2/5 difficulty rating, it looked pretty formidable. In between tall structures of pancakes, waffles and other breakfast delicacies weaved a track teeming with traffic- cars, trucks, and the Candy Law Affirmation Ward (C.L.A.W.)'s paddy wagons. Clearly, this track was not designed with the faint of heart in mind.

The track didn't daunt Yoshi and his friends as they pulled up to the starting line, however. This time, they were in it to win it.

**3… 2… 1… GO!**

Yoshi had picked the wrong track to pull out a rocket start on- he lost control and swerved right into a passing truck, to the delight of the Sugar Rushers. Crumbelina and Taffyta were at the head of the pack, and Yoshi had some catching up to do before he could prove himself.

Right after a hairpin left turn around a stack of hotcakes came the first set of item boxes. They weren't much help to Yoshi, though- all he received was a Bob-omb. The dinosaur held onto it- he figured it would be of more use to him later in the race.

And he was right- after another turn to the left and a sharp right came a steep hill in the road, capped off with a glide panel. The track was about to leave the road.

"Oh good, no more stupid cars!" grumbled Candlehead, as she was once again sideswiped by a passing police car, sending her to the back once more.

Yoshi knew this was his chance- Donkey Kong was gaining on him, and third place was getting nearer and nearer as he drew in on Toad. Just before Donkey Kong could overtake him, Yoshi dropped the bomb on the glide pad- right in DK's path. The dinosaur giggled as the angry ape was fished back on track by Lakitu.

The long glide took them to a dirt section away from the road, surrounded by mud pits, steep cliffs, and of course more pancakes. After a 180-degree turn left, Yoshi executed a mini-turbo as he tricked over a pond of maple syrup, taking the lead once and for all.

A long antigravity loop to the left around a pancake stack took the race to a glide panel and back to the road. Yoshi was on a roll- as he rounded the final right turn and crossed the finish line, the competition was long behind him.

**LAP 2!**

There was no stopping Yoshi as he drifted through the first set of item boxes again- or so he thought. From out of nowhere, a truck sideswiped him, causing him to flip over. Its drivers, a pair of strikingly familiar donuts, rolled down their windows.

"Hey, watch it!" yelled Wynchell.

"Outta the way, Yoshi!" called out Duncan.

With the impact, Yoshi surrendered the lead to Taffyta. The rest of the pack was not far behind either, but the dino held on to 2nd place as the race took him back into the field of pancakes. At least, until he drove into Taffyta's Banana, right on the edge of the ramp over the pond of syrup.

Yoshi's squeal of surprise was muffled by the syrup. After being deposited back on track, he was all the way back in 5th now. He managed to pass Donkey Kong again just as the track weaved its way back to the starting line.

**FINAL LAP!**

Now in 4th, Yoshi knew the items were going to be his best shot at 1st place. He wasn't about to let any more idiot donuts deny him a win.

Indeed, after rounding the boxes, Yoshi ended up with a Spiny Shell- a rare moment for a player character. Wisely, he decided to hold onto it- Toad and Crumbelina were not far ahead, after all.

As the track gave way to its off-road section, Yoshi drafted right behind Toad. The fungus gave a shout of surprise and tried to swerve out of the way, knowing what Yoshi was doing. But too late- he boosted right past him and then on past Crumbelina. The girl rolled her eyes at the creature that had just taken her place.

_Just wait till I'M the one that gets picked_, she thought.

The race made its way off the ground and into the air again, and Yoshi seized his chance. With Taffyta still in the lead, Yoshi fired his Spiny Shell, and it struck the blonde, flipping her in the air as Yoshi zoomed past her…

**FINISH!**

…And over the line.

Decidedly pleased with himself, Yoshi began saying his name delightfully, much to the amusement of the other racers.

**1****st**Yoshi +9 pts

**2****nd**Crumbelina +6 pts

**3****rd**Taffyta +3 pts

**4****th**Toad +1 pt

One racer, however, was particularly less-than-amused. "Who lets a dinosaur drive, anyway?" Crumbelina grumbled.

The others took no notice, as they congratulated their cretaceous champion.

"Atta boy, Yoshi!" Mario congratulated his fellow racer. "Now let's-a see you do that again… On my home-a course!"

**150cc Flower Cup- Round 2**

**Mario Circuit**

**Difficulty: 2/5**

Mario had indeed gone all-out with this course, and everyone, even the Sugar Rushers, could see it plain as day- it was, after all, in the shape of Mario's own name. Of course, the elements from both series were still there, so everyone felt at home regardless.

Especially Yoshi- now that he was one step closer to his victory. The _Mario Kart_ gang needed a chance to catch up, and just as ready to help them out as ever, Yoshi was unwilling to deny them that chance.

**3… 2… 1… GO!**

They were off! Thanks to the lack of traffic in this stage, Yoshi's rocket start went uninterrupted. It was time for a grand race around Mario's namesake track.

The first right turn led to a hairpin right, followed by a sharp left- forming the 'M' in Mario's name. Drifting around the corner, Yoshi executed a mini-turbo and boosted over a small ramp to the left of the track, sliding him into third.

After rounding a curve to the left that represented the 'a', the track went higher and higher above the ground, until finally, at the edge of the 'a', it led to a set of two ramps. Yoshi swerved into it and drifted around a sharp left turn, which he realized was supposed to be the 'r'.

The 'r' stretch culminated with antigravity, a series of cliffs alongside a large lake- and a nasty surprise for Yoshi. After rounding another left turn that represented the 'i', a drift to the right through the 'o' took him right into the maw of a hungry Chain-Chomp, flipping him over! The bite cost him third place, and taking advantage, Crumbelina zoomed past him, sending him back to 4th.

But the biggest thrill was yet to come- the 'o' stretch ended with a massive glide back to the track, on the other side of the lake. As Yoshi glided over it, he spotted an island with a large, bouncy mushroom on it. At first, he was unsure of what it was, until it hit him- it was the dot on the 'i' in Mario's name.

The scenery wasn't enough to distract him from the race, however, and he soon took back the 3rd place position from Crumbelina, just as he crossed the finish line.

**LAP 2!**

Yoshi knew the drill by now- he rounded the sharp left and boosted over the ramp, just as before. The item box on the 'a' provided him with three Bananas, and Yoshi knew to hold on to them- when it came to _Mario Kart_, the best offense was a good defense.

This proved right when Yoshi bumped into Toad, spinning him out of control and into the ravine below the ramp. He took off past the 'r' and across the antigravity ramp, in pursuit of Taffyta.

The Chain-Chomp wasn't going to fool him _this _time- he could see it coming. Taffyta, however, did not, and was flipped over, allowing the dino to take the lead.

But Yoshi's biggest predicament came when the twin Glide Panels changed- right as Yoshi was about to drive off of them. Unsure of what to do, Yoshi paused, as if waiting for them to change back, and allowed Taffyta to regain the lead.

Yoshi tried to back up, but found himself unable to. With no other alternative, he drove off the ramp and plummeted downward- onto the bouncy mushroom. The moment he landed on it, his kart sprouted a glider. Of course- it was a Glide Mushroom! He should have known- its blue color would have been a dead giveaway.

Now that he truly knew the track like the back of his paw, Yoshi was ready to take back the lead, with one lap to go.

**FINAL LAP!**

The usual boost off the ramp near the beginning was a big help, but not enough to regain the lead. He needed a Mushroom- and, fortunately, the item boxes gave him one. Now all he needed to do was use it in the right spot.

And it wasn't long before the right spot came to him- rounding the 'r', Yoshi could see another ramp just behind the Chain-Chomp in the 'o' section. It was going to be a huge gamble, but Yoshi was willing to risk it.

Taffyta looked on at the sight of Yoshi apparently willingly driving into the Chain-Chomp's domain, and chuckled to herself- and as she lost sight of the road before her, she _herself _ended up crashing into it instead.

Yoshi, on the other hand, used the ramp and soared over the lake. Nothing could deny him victory now- except, of course, an inconveniently placed Spiny Shell…

**FINISH!**

However, to his amazement, there wasn't one. ((Did I have any of you guys going on that one?!))

**1****st**Yoshi +9 pts (18 total)

**2****nd**Toad +6 pts (7 total)

**3****rd**Taffyta +3 pts (6 total)

**4****th**Crumbelina +1 pt (7 total)

Now Taffyta was unamused. "This is so unfair!" she pouted. "How did I end up from first to fourth place?!"

"It's only gonna get worse from here," Crumbelina sighed. "Next up is that big lizard's very own course!"

**150cc Flower Cup- Round 3**

**Yoshi's Fruit Loop**

**Difficulty: 2/5**

From the air, this course appeared to be a simple loop around Yoshi's Island, which was now teeming with fruity desserts of all kind- from jubilant cherry trees to pools of yogurt to rocky cliffs with giant rolling melons. As the camera zoomed in, however, the secret was out- this was no ordinary three-lap track, but a giant, single-lap track, divided into three long stretches.

Yoshi wasn't as used to this type of track as he might have liked, but he wasn't unduly concerned- he knew 1st place was his now. There was no doubt about it. Besides, this was his home course- what ever could go wrong?

**3… 2… 1… GO!**

The race was on, but the racers didn't seem to be getting their heads in the game- they were taking it all in. Not Yoshi, though. He already knew the way around his own island- all he had to do was dodge the tricks and traps Mario had laid out for him.

Around a gradual right turn, the track took its racers into a forest of candy trees, and the first set of item boxes lay ahead in plain sight. Yoshi passed through them and was rewarded with a Green Shell. He threw the shell behind him, and perhaps by chance struck an unsuspecting Candlehead, practically guaranteeing the poor girl another last place run.

The track looped around to the right again, and the entrance to the second stretch came into view. But it wasn't without its obstacles. A series of jumps blocked the path, each guarded by rivers of yogurt and a pair of hungry Piranha Plants.

Yoshi hurdled the three jumps and passed the first two pairs of plants without a scratch, but was not so lucky on the third. The resulting bite cost him the lead. Taffyta was once again in first, and was not going to give it up without a fight now. She had taken her mind off the road, and it cost her last time. She wouldn't make the same mistake again.

But Yoshi, just as determined as ever to protect his position, took off after her as the second section began.

**SECTION 2!**

Almost immediately, another set of item boxes lay in wait. Yoshi picked up a Red Shell, and instinctively threw it forward. But Taffyta, thinking fast, dropped a Banana behind her, and the Red Shell crashed into it and fazed out of existence.

"You'll have to do better than that!" the blonde taunted him.

She was right- Yoshi was falling behind on his home turf! To add insult to injury, he hit Taffyta's second Banana as she dropped it behind her.

Right as Yoshi recovered from the blow, the forest section ended abruptly, to be replaced by a series of rock candy cliffs. Up ahead lay a jump over a lake of yogurt.

Yoshi knew this was his chance, and began to draft behind Taffyta as they rounded the turn, preparing to jump. But unfortunately, Taffyta had saved one last Banana just for the occasion, and Yoshi spun out again.

Thankfully, falling into the yogurt lake had not cost him second place, and Yoshi continued to hold onto it with all he had as he entered the final section.

**FINAL SECTION!**

Even the track, however, seemed to be against him. As he rounded another right and took in the sight before him, his jaw dropped, and his long tongue dangled haphazardly out of his mouth.

A giant mountain, teeming with rolling watermelons, came into view just ahead of him, and the track gave way to an antigravity section. The dino sped over the panel and dodged the melons with all his might, all the while performing tricks off of cracks in the ground for extra bursts of speed. After several boosts, Taffyta's Pink Lightning came into view amidst the melons.

Without warning, the track turned and weaved up to the top of the mountain, and a cascade of melons greeted the racers. Yoshi and Taffyta were neck and neck as they reached the top of the mountain- at least, until the latter crashed into a melon and tumbled down the mountainside, allowing the former to reach the glide panel uninterrupted.

The finish was in plain sight- but this time, the sound of a Spiny Shell _did _find its way to Yoshi's ears. All he had to do was reach the finish in time…

But Yoshi couldn't do it. Moments away from victory, the Shell struck him and lifted him off the ground, as was often the case. Taffyta was close behind- all Yoshi had to do was make it over the line and…

**FINISH!**

Victory was his!

Yoshi was on a roll. Even in his own series, the dino seldom had this kind of luck in the 150cc Grand Prix!

**1****st**Yoshi +9 pts (27 overall)

**2****nd**Taffyta +6 pts (12 overall)

**3****rd**Crumbelina +3 pts (10 overall)

**4****th**Toad +1 pt (8 overall)

With that, it was official- nothing could take victory from Yoshi. Nothing, that is, except for a real doozy of a course…

**150cc Flower Cup- Final Round**

**Rock-Candy Mines**

**Difficulty: 3/5**

Unfortunately, what awaited the racers may have been just that. As the first 3-star track in the Grand Prix thus far, nothing the racers had seen had come close. Across rocky plateaus, over cliffs, and into mines complete with dangerous mine-cart tracks, this was a truly formidable place. And the fate of the Flower Cup's outcome all came down to this.

It was time. Yoshi was ready to score the _Mario Kart_ gang's first win.

**3… 2… 1… GO!**

The race took the racers around a 90-degree turn to the right as the countdown ended- along with the right side of the road. To the left of the racers was what appeared to be a desert mining town, complete with cheering Toads, Monty Moles, and assorted Candy Fans. To their right lay the unfathomable abyss.

Within the town was a cluster of stray item boxes, and at its edge was a cannon. Taking off after Toad and Taffyta with the boost from the Mushroom the item box had given him, Yoshi blasted off. As he soared into the air, he found that he was being given the choice between a lower path that weaved around the mountain in front of him, and an upper one in antigravity that went straight through it, which his opponents used to great effect. Yoshi tried to chase after them, but he didn't have the altitude he needed, and was forced to descend to the bottom path around the mountain.

To add to the time he'd lost from missing the top path, from out of nowhere a rolling boulder knocked him over. Rolling boulders were everywhere along these cliffsides, and Yoshi knew being knocked over too close to the edge would send him plummeting to his doom. He kept of the way of the obstacles as he sped off in pursuit of first place- straight into the mines.

The inside of the mine was dark and dimly lit- Yoshi could only see what was right in front of him thanks to his headlights. But the passage soon became illuminated as the mine jumped to life. Mine cars joined the racers on the track, item boxes trailing right behind them, and after a quick dip underwater, they emerged on the outside of the mine, swerving in all directions.

Just before the second lap, Yoshi saw Taffyta use three Green Shells to knock Toad over the edge of the track. Yoshi was thankful for the assist, but cautious to stay out of her way for now, until well after the second lap began.

**LAP 2!**

This was not the track for Yoshi or his Easter Egg- it was so tempting to nudge Taffyta over the cliffs that surrounded the track. But Yoshi and his kart were so light that bumping into her would result in almost certain doom, even without her Green Shells.

Realizing this as well, Taffya chucked a Shell behind her, and it narrowly missed Yoshi. The dino held on to his place in 2nd as he was blasted out of the cannon.

Try as he might, the dino still couldn't get enough altitude to reach the top half of the track, and was forced to surrender it to Taffyta a second time. But as they raced along the cliffs, dodging boulder after boulder and passing through the mines, 1st place grew closer and closer.

The mine ended with its abrupt dip in water, and taking his chances, Yoshi pushed Taffyta into a passing mine cart, flipping her over. Yoshi was so pleased with himself for solidifying his position in the cup, he almost forgot there was still one lap left to go.

**FINAL LAP!**

This was the big one- the one where victory would finally be in the hands of the Mario Karters (or Yoshi, at least). If he could just reach the finish in time- if he could just maintain 1st place- if only he could not be blown away by a sudden Spiny Shell…

But luck was not on Yoshi's side- the Spiny Shell struck him in the worst possible place: during the cannon glide. Yoshi fell for the longest time, and when he was deposited right behind the cannon once again, he had dropped all the way to 5th.

Yoshi was worried now- he had gone from being in 1st to potentially being ranked out! He wasn't about to let that happen, and more determined than ever, he blasted off once again and finally reached the upper path once and for all. The antigravity and boost pads within gave him the boost he needed to regain 4th- and a qualifying spot once again.

But it wasn't enough for a win- Yoshi knew he needed an assist from the final set of item boxes inside the mines. And he was going to have to follow close behind the dangerous mine carts to get one, lest he be flipped over just as Taffyta had been.

Getting the item box was worth the risk. To Yoshi's delight, he found himself being granted his special ability- Eggs! Between squeals of delight, Yoshi let fly and struck Toad and Crumbelina, putting himself right behind the best racer in _Sugar Rush_. Yoshi took aim, and right before she could cross the line, he struck her kart from behind, watching her tumble over backwards as he took his 1st place win for good.

**FINISH!**

It was over. Yoshi had won! No, team Mario Kart had won!

**1****st**Yoshi +9 pts (36 overall)

**2****nd**Taffyta +6 pts (18 overall)

**3****rd**Crumbelina +3 pts (13 overall)

**4****th**Toad +1 pt (9 overall)

The Mario Karters swarmed their champ, and Yoshi found himself hoisted in the air.

"You did it! Nice going, Yoshi!" exclaimed Luigi.

"Great job, dino-guy!" Wario agreed.

Donkey Kong cheered on his prehistoric pal, hopping up and down in between his monkey ooks of joy.

"You see, everybody? We're-a still in this!" Mario told his teammates. "We're on a roll now! And we're all gonna go for the gold together! As a team!"

Finally, the _Mario Kart _gang had secured the victory it needed. But the Sugar Rushers weren't about to let themselves suffer another loss…

**CONGRATULATIONS! You got 1****st**** Place!**

**Rank: A**

"An A-Rank, huh?" Moppet Girl said to herself. It was better than her last race had been, sure. But the Star rank was still out of reach. _Oh well, I'll get it eventually. This game isn't going anywhere, _she thought, as the game announced more news for her. _…I hope…_

**CONGRATULATIONS! New racer unlocked!**

**DRY BONES**

**Weight: **Super Light

**Speed: **5/5

**Handling: **4/5

**Sweetness: **3/5

**Kart: **The Bone-Appetit

All right- one of her favorite _Mario Kart Wii _characters was back! Moppet Girl was just about to jump back into action, when a voice cut off her train of thought.

"Wow, this game looks cool! Hey, can I have a turn?"

The girl looked down and saw a boy of no more than ten, a cluster of quarters in his hand and a look of expectation on his face.

Moppet Girl sighed. She wanted to keep playing, but at the same time, she knew what it felt like to be pushed away from a game- it had happened to her before.

"Alright, man. Here you go," she said, hopping out of the driver's seat.

"Wow, thanks!" said the boy as he clambered aboard.

And so Moppet Girl resigned herself to watch the action from behind, as _Mario Kart: Sugar Rush_'s newest driver stepped behind the wheel, ready to race.

**((Move over Moppet Girl- there's a new driver in town! And four new courses to tackle, too- up next is the Banana Cup! Hopefully you guys won't have to wait this long before it gets posted- I know it's been forever since I updated MKSR. But at the same time, the DLC for MK8 might screw up the order of the Retro Courses, as I'm trying NOT to use to ones Nintendo has used already, so I may not post the Banana Cup until I know for sure what they are. Either way, thank you for waiting patiently for the Flower Cup, and I'll see you next time around for more **_**Mario Kart: Sugar Rush!**_

**So long!**

**-1upDawg))**


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